Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khafji

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $674 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Khafji, Saudi Arabia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Khafji

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Khafji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $674 in Khafji.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Khafji $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,058 in Khafji.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Khafji $1,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Khafji.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Khafji $1,443

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than in Khafji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Khafji 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.24 SAR 12.15
37.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$34.45 SAR 129
-5.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.96 SAR 18.62
77.62%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.91 SAR 3.40
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 SAR 5.93
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$2.87 SAR 10.76
-1.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$0.79 SAR 2.95
10.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$0.21 SAR 0.77
133.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.75 SAR 6.56
-5.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$1.27 SAR 4.78
14.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.96 SAR 7.37
-23.47%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$2.12 SAR 7.96
-1.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$7.52 SAR 28.21
153.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.80 SAR 29.26
-57.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.98 SAR 48.69
-15.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.30 SAR 8.61
27.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.66 SAR 6.21
1.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.64 SAR 6.14
37.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.61 SAR 6.05
29.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.11 SAR 4.17
36.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$1.21 SAR 4.54
14.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.28 SAR 4.81
-16.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.59 SAR 2.21
-11.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.25 SAR 15.95
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.49 SAR 5.60
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.16 SAR 8.12
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.68 SAR 28.82
-45.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.74 SAR 10.26
10.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$2.64 SAR 9.89
-61.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$13.27 SAR 49.79
-72.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$0.61 SAR 2.29
140.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$29.5K SAR 110.5K
-9.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$21.4K SAR 80.4K
24.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$131 SAR 490
-26.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$32.28 SAR 121
-65.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$62.6 SAR 235
-73.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$13.20 SAR 49.54
-43.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$136 SAR 510
249.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$3,927 SAR 14.7K
186.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$42.57 SAR 160
46.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$49.96 SAR 187
-43.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$97.0 SAR 364
-2.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$89.8 SAR 337
-4.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$664 SAR 2,492
7.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Khafji
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.9
-5.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Khafji: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Khafji
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Khafji
$201 24.5% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Khafji
$225 81.1% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Khafji
$126 3.1% $3.8
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Khafji
$79 35% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Khafji
$26 * 67.9% $56
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Khafji
$16 * 77.4% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $664 in Khafji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $34 in Khafji. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $201, with Khafji cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇸🇦 Khafji
🕒 Local time
12:25 12:25 PM
08:25 8:25 AM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
67,012
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Khafji 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Khafji

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Phuket vs Khafji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khafji cheaper than Phuket?
Khafji is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,010 in Khafji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Khafji?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $664 in Khafji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $136 in Khafji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Khafji?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $34 in Khafji. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Khafji?
At $674 in Khafji versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Khafji?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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